Members of the public will have an opportunity to talk about a variety of police-related issues with RCMP Supt. Ted De Jager at a special town hall meeting Wednesday.
The commander of the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional Detachment will be at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre for the community policing forum from 7 to 9 p.m.
Doors open at w6:30 p.m.
“I would like to invite all residents of the regional district to a public safety forum to discuss current crime trends, initiatives and policing priorities,” said De Jager in a press release. “This is your opportunity to have a say in building safety and wellness in our communities.”
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He will present the current state of policing in the region, along with statistics and the detachment’s way forward over the next year. Following the presentation, the public will be invited to the open microphone to ask questions and provide feedback.
In late June, the City of Penticton chief administration officer, Peter Weeber, suggested a community conversation to be started after receiving many complaints about drug addiction and homelessness — and witnessing it first-hand. He said these are issues that fall under provincial and federal jurisdictions.
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“I’ve been getting daily phone calls and emails and letters saying that mayor and council have to fix homelessness, drug addiction and mental health,” Weeber previously told the Western News. “We have limited resources. We are water, roads, sewer, recreation, policing and fire. That’s our mandate.”
However, the city has been involved working to support local agencies and lobbying senior levels of governments and agencies.
The town hall is open to all residents of the region form Summerland to Princeton.